SARTHIE 1.0 campaign is a joint initiative of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India (DoSJE) and the National Legal Services Authority, India (NALSA). It is aimed at empowering marginalized and vulnerable individuals of the society including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Transgender Persons, Senior Citizens, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), sanitation workers, waste pickers, victims of substance abuse, and beggars, through awareness programs. The initiative seeks to bridge the awareness gap among these groups regarding their legal rights, welfare entitlements, and government schemes.

The initiative is designed to ‘empower’ individuals through ‘awareness’ and ‘assistance’, in order to achieve a dynamic balance of social, educational and economic empowerment of the vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society. The activities undertaken under this campaign shall act as a platform for disseminating vital information on social welfare schemes and policies, assisting individuals in accessing benefits and entitlements and exchanging good practices, in both urban and rural populations.

The campaign is aimed at furthering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015. In particular it seeks to further Goal 1 which calls upon countries to end poverty in all its forms everywhere, and in particular Target 1.3 which is aimed at implementing nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. It also seeks to further Goal 10 which calls upon countries to reduce inequality within and among countries, and in particular Target 10.4 which calls for adoption of policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.

NALSA’s existing nationwide network in States, districts and talukas, will facilitate the organising of awareness camps & seminars to increase awareness amongst the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society.

This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT, SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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VM

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